Transposed
by Kakarot.v5
Summary: What if somebody with knowledge of people and events to come suddenly wound up in the world of Final Fantasy XIII? Somebody who could dramatically shift the paradigm of the game? Someone like...me? Alternate Universe. An indulgent 'What If' story.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello everyone. If you're reading this, then the description must have triggered something in your mind to make you want to read this.** **I'd just like to say that I haven't written a story since I was in school 4 years ago. And even then they were only a few hundred words long. So please go easy on me, this being my first time and all. Constructive criticism is readily welcomed. Disclaimer: Final Fantasy, and all of its respective trademark property is owned by Square-Enix. I don't own a thing.**

"Well, that was an absolute crock of shit!"

I tossed my controller to one side and stormed out the room, mumbling incoherent curses as I went. Those were over 40 hours of my life utterly wasted, and I wanted them back. A vain hope, but I still felt cheated as I went to the kitchen. Maybe a bacon sandwich would help to alleviate my disgust.

"They just magically turned back from crystal and got a happy ending with their loved ones with absolutely no coherent explanation whatsoever! What a cop-out. Lazy bastards..."

Buttering up the bread, I couldn't help but cast my mind back. Right from the get-go, it was nothing but stereotypical characters, one dimensional story, linear game play and distinctly unimpressive musical backing.

I liked my bacon crispy, so I figured now would be the ideal time to dissect the sheer ridiculousness of the characters one piece at a time. Might help blow off some steam too.

Lightning. Unoriginal was an understatement. It was like she was an amalgamation of every emotionally withdrawn and abrupt character ever written. Fighting to save the life of a loved one? Yep, never seen that before. Hesitant to open up to others for a fear of self-exposure? Absolutely original. Eventually comes to realise the benefits of relying on others? Nobody's ever thought of that either. The fact that she started the game riding on a train and tearing shit up sure as hell wasn't a nod to a series predecessor as well. She just bugged me on so many levels. And the fact that they tried to make her character seem deep when it was just pulled out of a hat was as transparent as her faux hatred for mankind.

Sazh. Ironically, the most cliché character ever conceived in Final Fantasy history actually had a chance to be something new. But poor scripting made sure that didn't happen. They fact that right before fighting Anima he whispered the name Dajh was a blatant giveaway that he was risking his life for this person. Although the connection wasn't yet made, everyone could tell from the get-go that this would be his motivation factor. And then, not a few hours later, he musters the words "Every father cares." Doubtless, it was intended to be cryptic, but anyone with a decent memory must've figured out at that point that Dajh was his son, and he was clearly fighting to save or protect him or whatever. The rest of it was just filler. The attempted suicide would've actually done a good job of shaking things up and made way for something more substantial, but once again, they copped out for the teen rating and patched everything up with about as much consistency as a Star Trek movie.

Snow. Well, he just deserved that knife. It was like he was designed to the shining beacon of hope, but instead wound up being the beacon of macho idiocy. His theories were essentially pulled out of his ass on a whim and his entire system of beliefs founded on this skewed idea of his fiancée being the light of his life and that of the whole world. Well, that's just plain stupid. Except in Disney, relationships don't work out that way. And the grandiose notion of him being the 'Hero' who's actually as fallible as the rest of the world? Yet another cliché.

Vanille. She needed a ball gag. Every single time she opened her mouth, it just served re-enforce my belief that ear plugs have product placement everywhere nowadays. The tone of her voice made me cringe, and she contributed absolutely nothing to the game's dynamic (in the loosest definition of the word.) As for the group mentality she was nothing more than an idiosyncratic eye-sore. Every time she spooled up her theme song and a monologue, I might as well have just started playing elevator music in my head.

Hope. Every game needs one. Unfortunately, they're not usually not a whiny piece of shit. Okay, so his mother died – that's tragic, but it can be a powerful plot device. Except if you stretch it out over 6 chapters. In real life, if you found the man responsible for the death of your parent, you would literally be frothing at the mouth to get your hands on him come hell or high water. But no, he has to keep postponing it again and again until there's a convenient moment for him to release his feelings with emotional repercussions that can advance the character's standing in a way that's progressive to the game's story. To say nothing of the fact that he was really weak, but tried to be strong for the sake of his friends. Which we've never seen before. Again.

Fang. Where's a stingray when you need one? Okay, so, she was clearly supposed to be portrayed as the warrior with the mysterious past who was, you guessed it, fighting to save the life of the woman she loved. It wasn't directly stated in the game that she munched carpet, but it was so obvious even Rusty Galloway could've figured it out. The fact that she was the one who almost destroyed Cocoon all those years ago was also a convenient literary device. Why go searching half way across the planet for the destroyer when we can just put her in the party to start with?

"I might as well have just passed out for the cinematics. Sure as hell couldn't have made my understanding of things much worse. ."

I started on my bacon sandwich and let the feeling of a fuller stomach wash over me. That game may have ruined a lot of things for me, but never my love of bacon. After devouring the crispy goodness, I made my way back upstairs and crawled into bed. Maybe it was a little early for bed, but it was high time I got a break from the television anyway

Feeling the soothing texture of my bedding was enough to lull me into fatigue. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light. Maybe even faster.

The next thing I knew, I was enshrouded in darkness, a peculiar sensation overwhelming me. It was like I was being wretched. Something kept tugging at me, but I wasn't moving. At least it didn't feel like it. There was no ground moving beneath my feet, no air rushing past me, no scenery whipping by. But still it persisted. No, worse than persisted – it cascaded. It was as if some invisible force had me in its clutches. I tried to move my arms and legs, but they were trapped. None of my limbs were responding to my commands. No matter how hard I tried, I was still bound. I screamed out, but no sound came. How could that be? Was I in a vacuum? Was wherever I was soundproof? Panic started to overwhelm my senses. Before I knew it, I was writhing and thrashing in every conceivable position, just trying to get some kind of purchase. Before long, my strength started to give out, and weariness soon found its way into my system. My efforts had yielded naught and I was still none the wiser as to what the hell was going on. A lucid dream maybe? But if it was, then I should've been in control. Then, an image popped into my head. Singular, clear and unyielding. It was a picture of a planet. But it wasn't a planet I'd ever seen before. At least, not to my conscious recollection. I tried to get a better look, and found that I could move again.

Sitting up slowly, I tired to process what I'd just experienced. Then I saw the clothes.

_Wait, when did I get dressed again? And since when is my floor blue? _

"Serah!"

_I know that voice..._

Looking to its source, I saw a man. A man that I could've sworn I'd seen before. Then it hit me. The hat, the blond hair, the overcoat, the black trousers, the boots, the voice – it had to be.

I shook my head and looked again. He was still there. I shook again. He was still there. Either I was suffering from sensory delusion or I was looking at Snow Villiers.

_That's impossible and you know it. Go back to sleep and he'll be gone when you get up._

As I moved to lie down, I saw something I really wished I hadn't. Platinum hair. Platinum hair that could only have belonged to one boy.

He sat there with his hands across his legs, looking into his lap. That pose...Yep, it was him alright. Hope Estheim.

Looking around, I saw the rest of his compatriots. Lightning, with her trademark gunblade and pink hair, Sazh with his afro and pistols and Vanille with her fishing rod and fur skirt.

So that blue floor must have been-

"Is this for real?"

Looking in Snow's direction, I saw what he saw. Then it clicked. The blue floor was Lake Bresha in crystalline form. Which meant that I could only be in one place - The world of Final Fantasy XIII.

_Oh, fuck me._


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Every one of these chapters is written completely on the fly with no plan whatsoever. The theory is that in my mind's eye, it helps with the authenticity of what would happen as each scenario occurrs.  
I'd appreciate a few reviews to let me know what you guys think.  
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy, and all of its respective trademark property is owned by Square-Enix. I don't own a thing.**

Before panic could overwhelm my senses, I decided to make as much use of them as I could.

My vision certainly wasn't betraying me – I was staring right at Lake Bresha, with Snow and the others looking around slack-jawed, bar Hope.

"This must be...Lake Bresha? I guess we fell from up there."

That was hearing checked off.  
Never having felt a crystal lake before, I couldn't say what it should feel like to the naked hand. But, placing my palm to the floor beneath me, it seemed about right. I wasn't about to start licking the ground though, so that was out. As for smell, there wasn't a whole lot to go on. Crystals and water sure as hell don't smell like much, but my nostrils were being pervaded by a cold air. That counted, I guess.

"And the lake turned to crystal? Help me out here! I mean, did the Fal'Cie do this? How in the world did we end up here!?"

_Perfectly legitimate question. Too bad nobody ever answers it._

"How should I know?"

_Fair point. _

"We're alive. How?"

_Because there'd be no game without you. _

"Serah! No-one survives a fall from that height. Not without a miracle. Serah saved us!"

_Another baseless observation with no evidence. That's Snow all over._

"Wait, who're you!?"

_Wait, that's not part of the script..._

Looking towards the source of the voice, I could see Lightning staring right at me. Then more and more of the group started to look in my direction too. Not past me, not through me. At me.

"Uhhhhh, you can see me?"

Lightning snorted in that condescending way she had.

"What kind of a question is that? Of course, I can see you. We can all see you Now why don't you tell us who the hell you are."

_Oh shit! They can see me! Which means I'm not a phantom or a ghost or some kind of extra-sensory being. Which means I must have corporeal form! So then...I can be hurt!_

"Watch out, you're about to have company!"

I gestured with my arms, and sure enough, cei'th started to ramble towards the group.  
As one moved to strike Lightning, Snow reacted and defended her from the attack. Sure enough, his arm started to glow and he repelled the monster with magic, right on cue.

"What did I...just do?"

"You used magic! You used the power of l'cie! The fal'cie cursed us! We're l'cie now!"

_The first smart observation anybody's made._

I quickly ran out of harms way to observe the battle. Moving with surprising deftness, Lightning, Snow and Vanille were able to quickly defeat the beasts, having acquiesced to their new powers with remarkable speed.

Emerging from cover, I cautiously approached the group.

"So we really are l'cie."

"Looks like it."

"And to top it all off, this guy shows up right when we get turned, and then tells us we're about to be attacked by cie'th. I don't like it one bit."

Lighting was on the offensive again. I had to try to explain myself as best I could.

"Yeah, how did you know about that anyway?" chirped Vanille.

"Seems mighty convenient if you ask me" said Sazh.

_Here we go._

"Well, first things first. My name's Declan. And yes, I did know the cie'th would be coming. But that's only because I've seen it happen before."

"What do you mean by that? Were you watching us in the Pulse Vestige?" asked Snow.

They all had suspicious looks on their faces. If I didn't satisfy their curiosity with enough clarity, I'd probably be on the receiving end of some unpleasant weaponry. And I wasn't too keen on fighting these goons.

"In a manner of speaking. You see, I'm...not from this world."

"How can you not be from this world? You're not from Pulse are you!?" yelled Hope.

They started to move slowly in a circular fashion. I could tell in my peripheral vision that they were moving to encircle me. Moving as casually as I could, I tried to explain with calculated body gestures to seem non-threatening.

"No no no no no, I mean I'm not from this universe – this dimension. Or whatever you want you call it. I think the fal'cie that was responsible for turning you into l'cie was responsible was bringing me-OH FUCK!"

No sooner had the words left my mouth than I started stripping with a speed I didn't know I had. Shirt, trousers, it all had to come off right now. I had to know.

Needless to say, everybody had confused looks on their faces.

I scanned every inch of my body, looking up and down every limb and twisting my neck to see every bit of skin.

_Thank God. No brand._

Sazh was the first to speak up.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

Putting my clothes back on, I turned to face him.

"Just checking to make sure I don't have a brand. Which I don't. Thank God."

Now it was Lightning's turn to speak up.

"So you say you're not a l'cie and you say you're not from this world. How do we know you're telling the truth? You could be a Sanctum spy sent to kill us."

_I'd almost say that was a prudent point if it wasn't redundant. _

"Because if I was sent to spy on you, then I wouldn't be standing here talking to you, would I?"

"And what if you're supposed to gain our trust? Turn us in when we let our guard down? We all know what they did with the Purge citizens" added Sazh.

"Believe me, if I wanted any of you dead, it wouldn't be hard for me to make it so."

Snow looked pissed.

"Are you threatening us!?"

"No you idiot. Man, you guys take everything the wrong way. Although to be fair, if I were programmed like you, I'd probably be just as stupid."

"Programmed like us? What's that supposed to mean?"

_Man, Vanille's voice is even more irritating in person.  
__Hang on a second, I shouldn't be saying stuff like that. They don't know this is a video game. If I go around shooting my mouth off about things they don't comprehend, then I could upset the fabric of the game's reality. _

"N-nothing. Look, I know things don't look especially good for me right now, but the fact of the matter is that I need your help."

"And why should we help you? We've got our own problems to deal with, in case you haven't noticed" stated Lightning in a curt tone of voice.

"Yeah, no shit Sherlock. Look, I was drawn out of my world because of an element in this world. It stands to reason that there'd be another element to get me back. And in order for me find it, I'm going to need help. You can either trust what I'm saying and let me tag along, or you can stay suspicious and leave me here to die. Your call. "

I was gambling now. They had no reason whatsoever to trust me, and I hadn't offered much in the way of an explanation. Still, it wasn't like I could go breaking the fourth wall on them. Isn't that right reader?  
They all had questioning looks on their faces, unsure of whether or not to take what I'd said at face value. If I were in their shoes, I'd be distrustful as well. I had to up the ante.

"And besides, every second you spend standing here contemplating is another second the Sanctum spends tracking you. If you get your asses if fifth, I'll keep you covered."

"How the hell you gonna do that?" asked Sazh.

"I'm a rifleman – sharpshooter grade. I'll need a crash course in PSICOM's weaponry though. That's where you come in Light."

She flinched at the use of her nickname.

"Don't call me that" she growled in a low tone.

She about faced and started walking. The rest of the group followed suit and I soon fell in behind.

"Yes ma'am Sergeant ma'am" I retorted, shooting off a mocking salute.

_Well, this should be interesting._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note: Something new for this chapter. I tried to keep everyone in character as best I could. Please R&R to let me know what you guys think.  
****Disclaimer: Final Fantasy, and all of its respective trademark property is owned by Square-Enix. I don't own a thing.**  
_

_This works out well. Best I could hope for, given the circumstances._

Thanks to Lightning's tutorial, I was more or less proficient in PSICOM's standard issue weaponry. With a sniper rife in hand, I was trailing behind the group, trying to scope out ahead while not giving out any signals that could be picked up by hostile forces.

_Recon 101. Thanks Highway._

But as for the situation at hand, there was much to be concerned about.

_So, to summarize – I can't let any of the characters know what they are. If I do, it could cause some kind of feedback loop. Becoming self-aware might even start an error in their programming.  
__And I can't tell them about events to come either. My very own Temporal Prime Directive. Altering events that are set in occur in-game would cause one hell of a glitch._

In those regards, staying back and keeping watch was perfect. Looking towards my own future, there wasn't a whole lot to go on.

_All I know for certain is that a fal'cie's power was responsible for getting me into this world. Stands to reason the power of another fal'cie would get me out of here. _

The only problem was that the next fal'cie wouldn't be showing its face until Palumpolum. Which meant that I'd have to stick with Lightning and Hope when the time came.

_Lesser of two evils I guess. Better that than listening to Vanille's yammering about feelings for two chapters. _

"We fight it – Ragnarok!"

Looking ahead, I saw Snow jump down from a ledge with an exuberant look on his face.

_Ugh. Here we go._

"That's the reason we're l'cie – to stop it. To keep Cocoon safe!"

"Yeah. Why don't you give us one reason to believe that? One reason" asked Sazh.

_Pragmatism. If only there was more of it in this game. _

"Serah. She said to protect Cocoon, and then she turned to crystal. That's the proof right there! She completed her focus – that means ours is to save Cocoon. Serah's fal'cie was the same as ours. Our focus has gotta be the same. We were chosen to be guardians. To defeat Ragnarok. It makes sense!"

Snow seemed to emphasise his words. Like he was trying to convince all the others.

_Too bad he lacks any evidence. _

"The hell it does! You're grasping at straws, son. Pulse fal'cie are Cocoon's enemies. We just got recruited by one of them. If I were a betting man, I'd put us on the other side."

_If you were a betting man, you'd be rich right about now. _

"So Serah's an enemy too? Well I don't buy it. We have the power to save Cocoon. If we work together and carry out our focus-"

Snow didn't have time to finish his sentence before Lightning drew her gunblade and held it to his neck.

_She could've just told him to be quiet. _

"The fal'cie took Serah from us, and you wanna help it? Whose side are you on!?"

"FREEZE!"

_Right on schedule. _

A squadron of PSICOM soldier's just rushed the group with guns raised. Still, I couldn't interfere until the time came.

"Place your hands behind your heads!"

Lightning's gunblade clanked to the floor.

"You fall off the Purge train?"

"Maybe."

"Are you talking back to me!?"

_When will grunts in video games ever learn that it never helps to antagonise people?_

"Hmph. Nice gun."

And with that, she sprung into action, disarming several soldiers while reclaiming her weapon in the process.

_My turn. _

Looking through the sights of my weapon, I took aim at the soldiers, compensated for wind and squeezed off a round.  
They were too distracted by Lightning to even notice they were being watched.  
A few more bullets and some slashes later, they were down for the count.  
Emerging from cover, I moved closer to inspect the bodies. 1 headshot and 2 body shots, not counting the number of grunts left unconscious from the others assault.

_Not bad. Sights might need a little tuning though. _

Sazh moved in as well to take a look.

"Thought they'd be tougher than that. Guys are PSICOM, yeah? Supposed to be cream of the crop."

"Is he dead?" Vanille asked quietly.

"Unless they've started lining grunt helmets with kevlar, I sincerely doubt it" I retorted.

Lightning approached with an angry look on her face.

_I know where this is going. _

"You mean you killed him!?" she asked incredulously.

"If you want to argue semantics, the bullet killed him" I retorted.

She drew her gunblade and held it to my neck.

"That didn't work on Snow, so don't expect it to work on me."

"He was just a soldier doing his job. Guy might've had some family back home. And you couldn't aim a little lower?" Sazh interjected.

"He was a threat that had to be neutralised."

"And you just decided to use lethal force!?" Snow added furiously.

They all had angry looks on their faces.

_You've got to be kidding me. _

"Last time I checked, you're all Pulse l'cie and I'm in the same boat as you. If an enemy threatens us, we have to deal with him in the appropriate manner."

"That didn't seem appropriate to me..."Vanille murmured.

"Maybe not for a bleeding heart. Every one of them that stays alive is another gun pointed at our heads. Every one of their number that we cut down is a better chance of survival. If they get back up, then they'll just come after us again. I aim to make sure that nobody gets a second chance to put me down."

I felt the pressure against my neck increase.

_She won't slit my throat. _

"How can you act so callous!?" Lightning barked.

"Maybe you don't approve of my methods. But I don't need anyone's approval. Survival is my priority here, not humanitarianism."

Lightning scoffed.

"Scoff all you want, but I know you won't do it. If you did, then my blood would be all over you. Literally. You'll have ended the life of another human being and you wouldn't be able to handle that."

"What makes you think you know me!?" she yelled.

_Gotcha._

I took a step closer and furrowed by brow.

"A career in your Guardian Corps doesn't teach you to be a killer. My face will keep you awake at night. Every time you close your eyes you'll see the life drain from my face. It'll haunt you. And that's the last thing you need right now."

Her hand trembled slightly, but her face didn't show any lack of resolve.

It was time to end this. I put my hand onto the hilt of her weapon, covering her own.

"If you're going to murder me, then do it. Otherwise I'd appreciate it if you didn't go shouting out our position to any nearby units."

With a stone face, she lowered her gunblade.

"Now if it's all right with the rest of you, I'm going to pretend this never happened."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I'm doing my best to keep the characters as canon as possible, but it's tough to extrapolate in certain scenarios. That's only going to get tougher from here on out, so don't judge too harshly, for reasons already mentioned.  
****Disclaimer: Final Fantasy, and all of its respective trademark property is owned by Square-Enix. I don't own a thing.**

Moving over the crystalline hills, I did my best to keep pace with the group, despite my mind being elsewhere. After the incident with the dead soldier, I decided to keep my distance, both literally and figuratively. No matter how many times I re-played the scenario over in my head, I just couldn't stop thinking about it, no matter what conclusions I drew.  
There was no way in hell I was going to let myself be killed in this godforsaken world. If it was another, more palatable, world then maybe I could've believed otherwise.

_I wouldn't mind giving my life to free the skies from Lord Galcian, or stopping the plans of the Space Pirates, but I'm not going to go down for sentimental drivel and emotional hang-ups. _

Even so, the fact that the others had been so dead-set against the idea of murdering fellow human beings, albeit human beings who were trying to kill them, just didn't sit well with me. If the circumstances were different, I might've been inspired by their compassion. But right now, this was war. A war of survival, and one that I fully intended to win – especially so considering I was prepared for most of the contingencies that might arise.

_Forewarned is forearmed as they say._

I could worry about the consequences later. For now, I just had to keep scouting ahead and trying not to interfere. All I'd done so far was stop Hope from whining to Snow and Lightning giving some childish admonitions.

_Might have even improved things a little._

Then I heard a gasp. Looking towards its direction, I saw Lightning and Snow gazing at a crystal outcropping.

_I hope Snow's jaw isn't as fragile as his ego._

"Serah..." Lightning whispered.

"Serah!" Snow cried out, running towards her crystal form.

"Serah..." he murmured.

_Okay, her name's Serah, we get it!_

Right on cue, the others started digging alongside Snow, trying to free the woman he loved. A noble endeavour, that was without question, but foolish in its inception. If they stayed in one place for too long, PSICOM would track their position and neutralise the targets.

_And me along with them._

Fortunately, Lightning had the right idea. Once she was done with her interior monologue, she started walking away.

"Lightning! You're just gonna leave her!?" Snow asked.

The disbelief in his voice was apparent, but Lightning didn't let herself be swayed.

_Good for her. _

"PSICOM will be here soon. If they find us, we're all dead. You think Serah would want that? You think you know how she feels?"

_Last time I checked, you weren't telepathic either Light._

"If I leave her, then I'll never know" Snow replied.

"Hey!"

I climbed down and headed towards the group, weapon holstered and moving as quickly as I dared.

"Lightning's right. If we don't get moving, then we'll all be dead in a matter of minutes. No matter how tough you guys think you've become, you can't withstand the force of an entire army. Nobody can. So live to fight another day, and come back to get her."

_Make your point and leave. Don't start anything._

"I'll do whatever it takes to save Serah! I won't leave her here like this!" Snow shouted.

"Then stay here if you want. I'm not going to be target practice for any trigger-happy PSICOM soldiers."

Everybody glanced at each other. I didn't stick around long enough to hear them talk amongst themselves.

A little while later, I heard footsteps approaching from the rear. Not enough of them to be larger than a small group, and not heavy enough to be armoured. Looking back, I saw Lightning, Sazh, Vanille and Hope.

_Just the way its meant to be. _

I kept moving ahead, but before long, I heard someone call my name.

"Declan!"

Craning my neck, I saw Sazh motion towards himself.

_Looks like he wants me for something. Might as well go and see what._

"Where did you disappear to?" he enquired.

"I already told you guys – I wasn't going to stick around and get myself killed."

"Well, we had to fight a Manasvin Warmech without you..." Vanille admonished.

"And you survived, didn't you? Why are you complaining to me?"

"Because we're stronger together, and together we're a harder target for PSICOM. Divided we fall, but working in unison, we can rely on each other's strength" Sazh said.

_Hmph. I hate to admit it, but he's got a point. If I go wondering too far ahead, then I might end up being picked off just as easily as if I were alone. That'd be ironic considering how much of these idiots I've had to put up with during my time here._

"Maybe you could've used an extra hand, I'll admit. Especially considering Snow stayed behind to 'help' Serah"

I added that last part with an air of sarcasm, which didn't go unnoticed by Lightning. With a look of anger, she strode towards me.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" she asked sternly.

"That he's a fool if he thinks he can dig her out with nothing but a sharp spike. Waste of energy if you ask me" I replied.

"Well I didn't, so keep your opinions to yourself" she warned.

I wasn't in the mood to argue, so I reluctantly nodded.

_That's not the only thing I'm keeping to myself._

"What about you, kid? Any thoughts on the matter?" I asked.

Looking towards Hope, I could see he had a disapproving look on his face, but tried to shield it from view.

"N-no" he muttered.

_Figured as much._

"Fine – but I've said it before and I'll say it again. I will not die for any of you or your baggage. If I feel the heat around the corner, I will be gone in under 30 seconds. Understood?"

My tone of voice may have been a little harsher than was necessary, but I wanted to make certain that they were in absolutely no doubt whatsoever as to my feelings on the subject. I had enough on my plate as it was, and I wasn't about to start carrying other people's burdens, fictional or otherwise.

_That Garuda Interceptor's gonna be a pain in the ass. But it'll be nice to hear Vanille squeal in fear. _


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: So, it's been a while huh? Well, unfortunately I can't use the excuses of having homework or school because I escaped that particular circle of hell years ago. I can, however, say that I broke up with my girlfriend and got a new job just before Christmas rolled around. Bear with me on that one. Anyway, here's the next chapter. I'll try and get back into the swing of things, but no guarantees. ****Disclaimer: Final Fantasy, and all of its respective trademark property is owned by Square-Enix. I don't own a thing.**

"Check it out!" Vanille squealed.

I cringed. Her voice was just so annoyingly high pitched, it was like two people pulling a piece of razor wire through my ears.

_Why oh why oh way did I not sleep with earplugs that night?_

"C'mon – hop to it. Let's go" Sazh said, motioning towards the airship.

I certainly wasn't going to argue with that statement. With the time we lost fighting that last boss, I wasn't exactly keen on sticking around for too long with my thumb up my ass either.  
Seconds later, in the corner of my peripheral vision, I saw what appeared to be a bird land on a pillar nearby. Its movements were too artificial for my taste. And it seemed to eye the group with unnerving attention to detail. Then I remembered why.

_Nice to know Space Pope's still watching. _

"This'll make things easier!" Vanille chimed.

"Uh-huh. Yeah. Knowing our luck, it's probably missing an engine" Sazh countered.

_Are they serious? _

"You're not really thinking of flying that thing, are you?" I asked.

"Unless you got any better ideas, I was thinking yeah" said Sazh.

"So let me get this straight. There's an airship conveniently placed right in front of us. We don't know who it belongs to, or who put it there. For all we know, it could be booby-trapped. And you just want to waltz right up and take it?" I asked with all the disbelief I could muster.

"You shouldn't be so negative" Vanille replied.

"Negative? Really? I didn't think that prudence was suddenly considered a negative attribute."

"He's got a point" Lightning interjected.

_Nice to see a little common sense prevail. _

"How about somebody goes first to see if it's safe?" Hope asked.

"Good idea kid. Have fun."

"W-what!? You're kidding right?" Hope admonished.

_If only._

"Sazh, you're the pilot. Do a pre-flight check. If the board's green, give us a signal" Lightning said curtly.

"You know, you can be a real drag sometimes?" he said as he walked towards the ship.

I didn't know who that was directed towards. And frankly I didn't care. Considering we were about to be lit up like a Christmas tree, I wasn't going to take any chances with the ship's structural integrity.  
A few minutes later, we got the all-clear.  
Moving inside, I did my best to familiarise myself with the layout. Then I strapped myself to a chair as securely as I could.

_If I lose my dinner over this I am going to be so pissed off._

Taking off, I was immediately hit by the force of several g's.

_For all the technological prowess of this lousy world, you'd think they'd have gotten around to building some inertial dampeners. _

"Give me that!" Lightning shouted.

I couldn't see what was going on from my seat, but as far as I could tell, she was doing her thing with the onboard weapons.

"Did we get 'em?" Vanille asked.

_The naiveté of this girl knows no bounds. _

"We got one of them" Lightning answered.

Bullets flying past, I could tell Sazh was doing a pretty good job at evading the oncoming gunfire. If he could keep this up long enough for the pursuing aircraft to run out of ammo or fuel, that'd be fine and dandy with me.

"They're still behind us!" Hope cried.

_Really? Please continue to state the perfectly obvious. It fills me with confidence. _

"Hey! I said stop! You wanna die!?" Sazh yelled at Lightning.

"He's the pilot! Let him fly the damn ship!" I shouted.

"How're we gonna lose 'em?" Hope asked.

"You got me kid!" Sazh replied.

_We're screwed. _

"Then let me!" Lightning roared.

"No thank you!" Sazh cut off.

Looking forwards, I saw the rocks on either side of us closing in.

_Talk about Scylla and Charybdis!_

No sooner had I formed the words in my mind than we exited the tunnel. I could see the clear light of day. And what appeared to be sunshine. I might've been tempted to take in the serenity of the sight if there weren't yet more bullets flying past.

"They're still on us!?" Sazh asked with disbelief.

_No, they're shooting at the birds flying on either side of the ship! Of course they're shooting at us you idiot!_

"We're taking hits!" Sazh bellowed.

"Then keep moving!" I yelled.

"C'mon! Give me a break!" he said out loud.

"Hang on!"

Keeping my eyes forward, I saw him shoot out the rock structure ahead and point the nose underneath it.

_It's an old trick, but I ain't gonna complain if it works!_

Hearing a loud explosion behind us, I took it that it did.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I relaxed in my chair.

Then I heard what sounded like a thud.

"Ugh, for the love of all that's good!"

_Not much of that going around this world, that's for damn sure. _

"Next – an update on the status of the Purge" came a mechanical voice.

_Oh goody, state propaganda. Because there wasn't enough of that back home. _

"Just moments ago, the Sanctum announced the successful conclusion of the Purge, along with the safe arrival of the Cocoon migrants to their new homes on Pulse."

_Yeah, they went somewhere alright, but it sure as hell wasn't to Pulse._

Then the image of Galenth Dysley appeared on the screen.

"Yes, that is correct. There's no denying the enormity of the strain the Purge placed on us all. But given the tens of millions of lives at stake, there truly was no alternative."

_He sounds just like I remember. Still looks like the Space Pope too. _

"Primarch Dysley stood by the move, stressing the necessity of the relocation. When asked about the possibility of future Purges, The Primarch remained non-committal, stating only that he would seek counsel with the fal'cie Eden and weight all options before making a decision" came the commentary from the newsreader.

"Yeah, that right – if it makes the Sanctum look bad, it never even happened" replied Sazh, with an air of sadness to his voce.

_Plausible deniability. You're acting like it's something that's never happened before. _

"In all the centuries since the War of Transgression, Cocoon has been spared Pulse aggression and prospered for it. It is essential that we maintain this peace – that is the Sanctum's focus. We will continue employing every resource available to combat these threats to the harmony of our society" Space Pope droned on.

"Meaning, we'll be running for the rest of our lives" Sazh concluded.

_Maybe your lives. Before too long, I plan to be back in my own world. _

"Hey, um, who is this guy?" Vanille asked.

Sazh just threw his head forward in exasperation.

_Can't say I blame the guy, but to be fair she didn't even come to Cocoon until a little while ago, so ignorance is to be expected. Just a shame there's so much from this dipshit. _

"I mean, what do they teach kids these days? He's Galenth Dysley, Sanctum Primarch. Murderer-in-chief" Sazh added with a deadly earnestness.

"Just another tool of the fal'cie" Lightning said.

_You have absolutely no idea._

"According to our instapoll, nearly 90% of Cocoon's citizens agreed with the Sanctum's handling of the Purge. 70% of respondents said they would also support additional Purges were the need to arise" finished the announcer.

Sazh sighed again.

"Let's Purge everybody – that'll fix it."

"You did just hear what she said, didn't you? Over two thirds of the population support what you guys witnessed. In numerical terms, that's a few million. Now I don't know about the rest of you, but if there was that much pressure facing me on a daily basis, I'd be pretty tempted to pack up my bags and leave without the Sanctum having to stick their noses in" I chimed in.

"But that doesn't mean that what they did was right" Vanille stressed.

"What you or I consider to be right is moot. Right is a point of view, and one that can easily be contorted. We might think that the Purge was wrong, but all those soldiers who carried it out sure as hell didn't."

Just then, red lights started flashing throughout the ship, and I immediately straightened up in my seat. Looking out the window, I could see bullets sating to fly past again.

"Points for perseverance" Sazh said.

_Took the words right out of my mouth. _

Suddenly a bright light appeared up ahead. It was so intense I had to hold up my hand to shield my eyes from the radiance. It was almost like looking directly into the sun.

"Wooooooow!" Vanille said in hushed awe.

"A sanctum fal'cie up close and personal. Cocoon's own light in the sky" Sazh said.

"Wait, so we're flying into the sun right now!?" I yelled.

Next thing I knew, I was thrown about in my chair by a violent barrage of gunfire.

"Here we go again" Sazh commented.

"Fly in" Lightning said.

"Wait a minute, she wants to fly into the sun!? Are you out of your fucking mind!? We'll all be cooked alive!" I screamed.

"We'll lose them in there!" she retorted.

"I don't give a shit, I do not want to fly into the fucking sun!" I bellowed.

Before I could protest any louder, I saw the tendrils of the fal'cie begin to engulf the ship. Wave after wave of bright light licking closer and closer towards us. It might have been beautiful if it wasn't suicidal.

_This is fucking insane!_

Just then, one of the pursuing ships exploded when it came into contact with the fal'cie.

"I like this fal'cie" Sazh said.

"There's more of them!" Vanille cried.

"You don't fucking say!" I cried.

I felt the ship lurch from side to side very quickly. Clearly Sazh was trying to evade the oncoming gunfire and doing a pretty good job of it – until everything around me exploded into flames.  
I could hear alarms going off all around me, the constant wail of the collision alert repeating over and over again in my ears telling me that we'd been hit. My body was being scorched by the searing heat of the flames. Every single nerve ending in my body was screaming at me to get away from the fire before I ended up burning all my skin off. I struggled with the seatbelts frantically trying to get away as quickly as I could before I heard people screaming. Looking up towards the cockpit, I saw rocks. Lots and lots of rocks and they were coming towards us a hell of a hell of a lot faster than I would've liked under normal circumstances. We were about to crash, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.

So I just crossed my arms over my face, gritted my teeth and braced for impact.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Hello everyone. Sorry for the wait, but I've been very busy lately with work and cosplay, not to mention a number of social engagements. So, I decided to put a lot of work into this chapter. By my standards, it's probably the largest piece I've ever done. And I understand lots of you like long chapters.  
As I've said before, I don't have a beta reader, so I really don't know how this part is going to come off. I've tried to keep everyone in character while moving the story forward as best I can.  
In the meantime, please R&R - it really helps to know what you guys think.  
****Disclaimer: Final Fantasy, and all of its respective trademark property is owned by Square-Enix. I don't own a thing.**

_Oh man…_

Pain. Agonising pain. Every single fibre of my being ached with a pain I hadn't experienced in a long time. I was hesitant to move for fear that I'd send more pain coursing through my limbs. Everything from my fingernails to my hair was hurting. I didn't dare cry out though – I had absolutely no desire to show weakness in front of the others.

_First things first then. _

I opened my eyes slowly. Part of the reason that I hurt so much may have had something to do with the fact that I was sprawled over very rocky terrain. I clenched my left hand and then my right hand. They moved, but not as quickly as I would have liked. Understandable, considering the circumstances. I wiggled my feet, and felt them respond in kind. Tensing one muscle after another, I concluded that nothing was broken. Probably just bruised.

_And I know just who to thank for that. _

Moving into a crouched position, I took a look around. A few metres away was the burning wreckage of the ship we'd been flying in. From the looks of things, the hull was mostly intact, but the missing wing coupled with the raging fire in the rear made damn sure she wouldn't be going up again. Surveying the area, I could see the others lying on the ground nearby, although Lightning was already trying to wake Hope.

_Shit, not much time!_

Some of my muscles screamed at me in protest, but I didn't have time for that right now. I got to my feet as quickly as I could and checked around. Fortunately, my weapon had been thrown clear with me. Picking it up, I checked the sights and barrel.  
Completely shot.  
Again, it was understandable - just annoying that the weaponry in this world wasn't sturdier. True, the weapons back home weren't much higher grade, but I didn't have time to contemplate minutia.  
Looking ahead, I saw Lightning striding towards the oncoming Pantherons. They were moving just as aggressively as ever and she was ready to meet them, gunblade in hand.  
Then I heard the sound of more movement. Vanille was stirring now, which meant that she'd be jumping into battle with Sazh in a moment.

"Hey! Wake up! You've gotta wake up! Look!" She cried, as she pointed towards Lightning.

A few moments later, she and Sazh were running towards the enemies, weapons in hand. I was more than happy to sit this one out. Unarmed combat was a fall-back for me, and non-humanoid opposition certainly left me out of my depth. Besides, conserving a few minutes of energy seemed like the prudent course considering all the trekking through the Vile Peaks that we'd be doing.  
When the battle was over, Vanille collapsed onto a mound, out of breath, Sazh not far behind.

"Glad that's over!" she exclaimed.

_I am so glad I won't have to listen to that voice for much longer._

I strode towards the group with all the purpose I could muster and headed straight for Lightning's front. I wanted to hear her words and I wasn't going to settle for a brushing off.

"And remind me, just who's brilliant idea was it in the first place for us to fly into the fucking sun!?" I spat out.

Lightning turned towards me with a scowl on her face. She wasn't about to take any shit either.

_Good. _

"You're still alive, so quit complaining. And get out of my face."

"Not until you admit it was a bad call."

She took a step forward to meet me. There was a fire in her eyes - a kind of angry determination that I hadn't really noticed before. But either way, I could see the passion in those blue orbs now, and it was intense.

"No way."

There was steel in her voice. She had no intention of backing down.  
That's when I burst out laughing.

"Stubborn as a mule. I know exactly how that feels, and I admire your conviction. But don't push your luck."

Turning on my hell, I walked away with deliberate pace. Not too quickly, but not too slowly either – I didn't want to give the impression that I was running away.

_Damned if I ever run away from these idiots. _

I kept my eyes peeled and moved ahead, scouting the hilltops for any movement. The last thing I needed was to be ambushed from higher ground without my rifle.  
Before too long, I sighted an obstacle in my path – it looked like a giant metal cog of some kind. Climbing on top, I leapt down the other side to do a break fall on the ground. After surviving that plane crash, I sure as hell wasn't about to let my own stupidity impede my progress.  
Before getting more than a few hundred yards ahead, I spotted a lone soldier moving away.

_Must be a scout. Which means that either there's more nearby, or he's heading back to report._

Flattening against the rock face, I shimmied until I had a clearer view. From what I could tell, he was a standard PSICOM operative. Proficient in hand-to-hand combat, and trained in weapon usage. Most likely he had intel on the surrounding terrain and a communications device to link up with the other members of his squad. Of course I was assuming, but intelligent extrapolation was all I could do right now.

_I'll only get one shot. _

I looked around and grabbed a rock. Trying to get a good angle, I threw it to just in front of the soldier.

"Hmm? What was that?"

Moving to investigate, I snuck up behind him. I couldn't risk his yelling out, so I had to do this quietly. While he was distracted, I kicked him as hard as I could in the back of his knee. Sure enough, he went down, and no sooner did I hear the thud than I wrapped my left arm around his neck. Clasping my hands together, I pulled with as much power as I could.

_Remember to use the bony part of your forearm. _

Looking down, I could see hands clasping at my chest, and for the briefest of moments, I could have sworn I heard what sounded like gasps through his helmet. But I didn't relent. If he regained consciousness, then there was a chance he might call for backup and start sweeping the area, which would severely limit my options.  
I pulled tighter and tighter, and the man's hands became more frantic, as though he were literally clasping at straws. Before too long, they started to lose energy, and then they fell to his sides. Limp.  
I held on tightly for a few seconds longer to make sure the job was done.  
When I released, he collapsed to the floor with a dull thud.  
I saw his weapon a few feet away, and picked it up. From what I could tell, it was a similar model to the rifle I had previously.

_Don't fire here. Someone might hear it._

"Not bad."

The voice came from my rear and I immediately swung around and levelled the weapon, safety catch released.

It was Lightning.

"You should know better than to sneak up on a man with a loaded rifle" I said, holstering the weapon.

"Surprisingly stealthy. Where'd you learn to do that?" she inquired.

"Have you been watching the whole time?" I countered.

No response. I figured I might as well answer her question. At the very least, there was a chance it might improve my standing.

"Judo lessons. It's never taught as a lethal technique though."

She circled around to examine my handiwork.

"That didn't stop you" she commented.

I grunted by way of response. I wasn't keen on arguing ethics again, not with Hope about to show up any minute. And the last thing I needed was to alienate Lightning. Even if she did frustrate me, I couldn't deny that her combat skills would be vital in getting to the next fal'cie.

_Hopefully that'll be my ticket out of this world. _

Right on cue, I heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Turning my head to their direction, I saw Hope running up towards us.

"You as well?" Lightning asked.

"For now I guess. Should we wait for the others?" Hope answered.

"They'll catch up. Eventually" she replied, turning on her heel and walking away.

Taking this as my cue, I moved ahead and began to scout.  
From general observation, the area hadn't seen any signs of human incursion for a while, PSICOM's recent movements notwithstanding. There were machines and components scattered all over the landscape, some of which were still functional. I decided to keep my distance. Whether or not they were automata from Pulse, I didn't want to find out if their chassis' were bulletproof.  
The terrain wasn't especially difficult to move through, but I had to watch my footing to make sure I didn't trip over any rocky outcroppings. Aside from the occasional leaps and bounds to get past obstacles, it was fairly simple to traverse.  
Before too long, we arrived at the base of a sheer cliff.

_I know who I'm sticking with. _

Looking towards Hope, I could see him with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. He sat down and looked up towards the top of the cliff.

"Can we get through this way you think? You…..know where you're going right?" he asked with a degree of uncertainty.

"I've been here on missions before" Lightning responded.

"Missions. Nothing to do with the Purge though?" he inquired.

"The Purge is PSICOM'S baby" she defended, moving towards the cliff.

"Our military is split into two arms - the Public Security and Intelligence Command, known as PSICOM, and the Guardian Corps. I was Guardian Corps, Bodhum Security Regiment" Lightning explained as she began to move upwards.

"Wait, but I don't get it. If you're not PSICOM, then why did you board the train?" Hope asked.

"For Serah. I had to rescue her before they transported the vestige to Pulse, and out of my reach. My only chance to save her was to join the Purge" she explained.

"You're telling me you got on that train so you could save your sister?" Hope asked in a surprised manner.

"That is what she just said, isn't it?" I chimed in.

"That's crazy. I could never do something like that" he pondered.

"It's not a question of can or can't. There are some things in life you just do" she stated matter-of-factly.

_That has got to be one of the biggest crocks of shit I've ever heard._

"Easy for someone like you to say" he retorted.

Lightning made a barely audible noise, and began scaling the cliff face.

_Oh no, I am not getting left here with the whiny shits and the old man._

I took off from a standing position, and charged up after her. As far as I was concerned, her company was by far the lesser of two evils when it came to this rag-tag bunch.  
Climbing the rocks, I latched onto an overhead pipe emerging from the stones and swung upwards. Getting my bearings, I looked above me. The nearby framework was a little too far for me to jump, however, so I had to improvise. Looking in the general vicinity, I saw a piece of metal sticking out from an old…..something. Wedging it loose, I raised it over my head and thrust it into the rock face. Pulling myself up, I stuck my foot into a groove and repeated the process. It was taxing on the arms, but I wasn't getting left behind.  
Before too long, I made it to the top. Sure enough, Lightning was there with her arms folded.

"If you're coming along, don't expect me to wait around" she warned.

I took a defiant stance.

"Do I look like a 14 year old? Let's just keep moving" I said.

"Alright then. I'll take point" she motioned.

_Fine by me. Means you'll be first in line to get attacked by any hostiles. _

Taking up position in the rear, I kept my back to Lightning and my weapon raised. I was unfamiliar with this part of the game design, so I had to be ready for anything that might come our way.

_Our way? Since when are we a team?_

I mentally rebuked myself. This wasn't some kind of team-building exercise. I was helping them to survive in exchange for a way home. That was it. Any kind of compassion or sentimentality was a bad idea. I didn't need to start getting attached to the inhabitants of this world just because I was in it. And previous experience had taught me in a big way that emotional connections to the people around me were a weakness I couldn't afford, especially in a situation like this.  
Constantly scanning the horizon, I didn't detect any movement, but it was always a possibility that some of these machines might re-activate and attack at a moment's notice. Failing that, PSICOM operatives could always be waiting in ambush.

"What do you know about PSICOM tactics?" I asked.

"The Guardian Corps isn't given access to PSICOM intelligence files. But from what I understand, they're adept in urban warfare and sweep-and-clean operations" she answered.

"Any history of guerrilla warfare or ambush attacks?" I pried.

"Not that I know of" Lightning answered.

"Good. I prefer enemies that aren't adept in stealth. Easier to target and less chance of being surprised" I commented.

Lightning turned to face me.

"You seem to know a lot about military strategy" she noted.

"Ironic, considering I've never served in the military" I observed.

"Really?" she asked.

"Well, aside from a brief stint in my school's combined cadet force coupled with some intermittent arms training. Mostly civilian grade, nothing heavy-duty" I elaborated.

"That, and your Judo lessons?" she continued.

"Yeah. I kept up with those for a few years. Figured some self-defence might come in handy" I explained.

"Hmph. Good call" she said.

I glanced in Lightning's direction.

_Did she just backhand compliment me?_

I lightly shook my head.

_Don't go down that road._

"What about you? How long did you serve in the Guardian Corps?" I inquired.

"A few years. Made it to Sergeant before I quit. Specialised in gunblade weaponry" she detailed.

"I noticed."

"You ever consider using one?" she offered.

"The thought did occur to me, but they're still an experimental weapon in my world. Doesn't make much sense to train with a weapon I couldn't use back home" I replied.

"True enough" she conceded.

As I continued moving through the terrain, my thoughts began to wonder. I started thinking about what it might be like to be a native of such a technologically advanced world. Sure, it might be fictional, but for all intents and purposes it seemed perfectly real to its inhabitants. Their prowess might not even register to them on a conscious level, but it still impressed me. Architecture, weaponry, transportation – it all seemed leaps and bounds ahead.

_If I wasn't on a mission to get back, I might be tempted to learn how some of it worked. _

But then, it occurred to me, would the game's designers have programmed that knowledge into its dwellers?  
I decided not to pursue that line of thinking. Meditating on the existential nature of this world wasn't going to get me anywhere.

_Time enough for that when I get home. _

A few minutes later, another edge come into view, although this one wasn't nearly as high as the previous one. Looking down, I saw the familiar forms of Sazh, Vanille and Hope walking below. I wasn't exactly keen on re-joining them, but extra firepower was nothing to be snuffed at, especially considering the coming battle against the Dreadnought.

"C'mon" Lightning ushered.

Taking a few steps back, I took a running start before leaping down. Before touch down, I rolled my body forward as best I could to minimise any shock damage. Standing, I looked over towards Sazh.

"Welcome to the party!" he greeted.

"You miss us?" Vanille asked excitedly.

Lightning huffed and kept moving.

"Would it kill her to smile?"

I fell in line and glanced towards Vanille.

"Would it kill her not to be so annoying?"

"Hey!" I heard her call out behind me.

I unslung my weapon and emptied the ammo clip. Just over a dozen rounds inside with 3 magazines to spare.

_Fingers crossed it'll be enough. _

Walking ahead behind Lightning, the group and I approached a large open space. Lying in front of us was, what appeared to be, a large pile of scrap. There were huge metallic cogs scattered all over the ground with large beams in between. To the naked eye, it looked like a huge pile of parts and boxes had just been left lying out in the middle of nowhere for anyone to stumble across. Which was exactly what we were doing right now.  
No sooner had we walked towards it than it began to stir. Sure enough, the fore began to unveil itself and the gargantuan automaton behind was revealed. It was massive. Standing at least 20 feet tall, it had an arm span bigger than I imagined. The massive claw-like hands began to spin ominously, but it didn't seem to making any audible noises. You'd think that a machine of this size would at least have motors or something running inside it, but there was nothing. The Dreadnought shifted its weight to one side and slammed its arm into the ground at speed. Barely seconds afterwards, it began marching towards the group, one thundering step after another.

"What is that?" Sazh asked, clearly not believing his eyes.

"Pulse armament" Lightning answered, drawing her gunblade.

"And that's bad for us, isn't it?" he asked rhetorically as he drew his pistols.

""You have eyes, don't you?" she countered, moving to a fighting position.

Not bothering to come up with a put-down, I immediately started sprinting around to the left. From what I could tell, the hills around us didn't have any traction, so I wasn't about waste any time trying to climb to a higher vantage point if it meant that the Dreadnought might attack me from behind. I raised my weapon and took aim.

_Wait, where the fuck am I supposed to aim!?_

Taking a guess, I centred my sights on its front near the top and squeezed the trigger. With any luck, I was hitting somewhere close to what I assumed would be its optical sensors. My line of thinking was that if I could blind it, or at least distract it long enough for the others to attack, then we'd be able to gain a tactical advantage. With an opponent this size, it shouldn't be too hard to keep it occupied so long as we moved quickly enough.  
Unfortunately, it wasn't working. My bullets weren't having any visible effect on the creature. And it was logical to assume that small calibre rounds wouldn't be very effective against its joints either – they'd probably just get crushed.  
I had to come up with something else.  
While the others kept attacking with magic and weapons, I moved as quickly as I could to see if there was anything I might be able to do. From what I could see, the only other components of the battlefield really were just scrap, and I sure as hell wouldn't be able to fashion any kind of weapon out of them. Throwing rocks would be useless as well. I was running out of ideas fast.  
No sooner had the though just left my mind than the Dreadnought tilted backwards and showed off some kind of projectile cannon. I couldn't remember how much it was capable of firing, but I knew full well what the effects would be. Circling around, I bided my time, firing off pot shots here and there in an unsuccessful attempt to cause any significant damage.  
Then it fired. The floor around the party collapsed beneath them, and they all plunged below the ground. The Dreadnought approached the hole in the ground and immediately jumped in after them. Clearly it was intended as a lethal weapon, otherwise it would have been satisfied with just dispatching the others.

"Thought we were all goners. You all right?" Sazh asked, concerned for his comrades.

"I think so" Vanille replied, getting to her feet.

"Incoming!" Lightning warned, just as the Dreadnought landed in front of them.

I knew they were more than capable of dealing with the monster, but I wasn't about to sit back and watch. I didn't know if it was some kind of human concern or whether I was angry at the enemy, but I wanted in.  
Standing at the edge of the hole, I looked down. They were doing a good job of staggering it, but it was still standing. Which meant it would be attacking before long. I had to do something.  
Then it hit me.

_Robocop 2. _

I took a few steps back, and started running.

_I hope this works._

Not wanting to think twice, I leapt below. Looking down as I fell, I could see it right below me. I landed on top of the Dreadnought.  
It still didn't make any noise, but I could tell it was pissed. Tilting back, it tried to throw me off. I wouldn't last long if this kept up. I needed help.

"Guys! Keep him busy!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

"Roger!" Lightning shouted.

I held on for dear life and felt the rumbling subside. Hopefully, it was more concerned with them now than it was with me. Moving forward, I approached the front of its top. There seemed to be some centralised panelling near the top of its head. Perfect.  
I aimed my weapon and fired. The shots ricocheted, but I didn't need them to penetrate. I just needed them to do enough damage to pry the edges of those panels off. Contending with the rocking, I grabbed the edges of the covering and pulled with every ounce of strength I had. My arms felt like there were being pulled in a rack, but I didn't loosen my grip. It took a few moments, but I managed to pry it off.  
I leaned down and stuck my arm into the hole I'd made. Feeling around, there wasn't as much machinery inside as I expected. Reaching deeper, I was finally able to grab something. I didn't know what it was and I didn't know what it did but it felt loose. So before the Dreadnought could react, I yanked my arm out.  
In my hand was some kind of pipe. It glowed a pale white which was quickly fading away. I took that to mean that it'd been separated from its power source, whatever that was.  
Almost immediately, the rumbling under me lessened. I didn't know if I what I did would be any good, but I didn't plan on staying up here. I got to my feet and started running down the spine. When I got to the rear, I jumped to the ground and rolled away.  
Looking back, I saw the other ravaging the beast relentlessly – Vanille casting spells, Lighting attacking and Sazh alternating between the two. Moments later, it collapsed onto the ground, unmoving.  
I stood up and dusted myself off.

_And stay down._

I moved towards the others.

"Everyone alright?" I inquired.

"Seems like it" Vanille answered.

"That was pretty gutsy Declan" Sazh observed.

"It wasn't my idea. I saw it in a movie when I was a kid" I replied.

"Nice job" Lightning complimented.

"I just hope I never have to do it again" I grumbled as I stretched my arms.

"Pulse is crawling with things like that, isn't it?" Sazh asked.

"Got me. Not even the Corps has access to intel on Pulse. Soldiers in the field fight blind" Lightning said.

"Yeah, I noticed that. But don't you need to know exactly what you're up against?" Sazh continued.

"Target's a target" Lightning retorted simply.

"That's stupid" I countered.

"Oh?" Lightning pried, raising an eyebrow.

"Knowing your enemy is half the battle. If you can determine its weaknesses beforehand, then you have a decisive advantage. Most battles are won before they even begin. Not having access to intelligence on your enemy's no better than fighting with a hand tied behind your back" I mused.

"I learn as I go" Lightning commented.

"You like to keep it simple, huh?" Sazh noted.

"I stick to my goal" she answered.

"As long as you have a goal, you can fight?" queried Hope.

"You can stay alive" Lightning said as she began to move away.

_As long as you have a goal, you can stay alive, huh?_

Philosophy wasn't something I expected to encounter. Regardless, I had to keep moving as well. I departed in the same direction and kept my eyes open. The Dreadnought was one thing, but there were far worse enemies out there, and I knew it. Maybe next time I wouldn't be able to think of anything, or the circumstances of battle might now play out how they're supposed to because of my interference with the environment. Whatever it might be, I couldn't count on anything. My prior knowledge of things might prepare me for enemy strategies and traversing regions, but there was always the element of unpredictability, especially when dealing with forces that can drag people into video game worlds.  
Having passed through a long steel corridor, I soon found myself traversing some steep rocks. Fortunately, due to the walls on either side, there was no need to watch anywhere other than forward right now. Save having to expend energy.  
Before long, there was a large structure towering in front of me. I knew this one wouldn't rear up and attack though. It almost looked like a giant cannon, or some kind of tower tilted to one side. Walking to the upper path, I could see Hope and Vanille go off to the side. Clearly they'd found something of interest, or were just having a conversation all their own right now. Either way, I wasn't going to interject. I'd be spared having to listen to that voice for a while.  
Sazh and Vanille approached, not too far behind. I found a spot a little to the side and leaned my back against it. Felt good having something support my weight.

_Enjoy it while it lasts. _

"Not much of a future for us huh?" brooded Sazh.

"Hard to picture a happy ending" Lightning concurred.

"We don't even know where to go" he contemplated.

"I do" she said in a firm tone of voice, standing up.

"There" Lightning motioned with a gesture of her head.

"Eden?" Sazh said incredulously.

"The Sanctum's seat of power. Oh, that's a great idea. Just charge in there. Give 'em a taste of l'cie terror!" he humoured, sarcasm lacing his voice.

Then he took one look at Lightning and the penny dropped.

"You're serious" he said more to himself than anyone self.

"Keep running - it's die or turn cie'th. There's no place for l'cie to hide. No…They want a fight? Let's take it to the Sanctum's door! "Lightning said with conviction.

"This isn't a game!" Sazh cried.

"No. That's for damn sure. It started with Serah. The fal'cie took her. Now I'm a l'cie too, and the Sanctum's hunting me, an enemy of the state. But who's pulling their strings? A fal'cie. Eden. Cocoon's sustainer and guiding light. It probably ordered the Purge too. Pulse and Sanctum fal'cie? They're all the same. And we're all the same to them – expendable. I'm not dying a fal'cie slave" Lightning elaborated.

"Do you have any idea how much of that is speculation?" I interrupted.

"What do you mean?" Lightning asked.

"How do you know that Eden ordered the Purge? Have to spoken to it recently? Did it tell you these things? And have you even met a Pulse fal'cie? How do you know what they're like?" I persisted.

"I don't need to" she answered stubbornly.

"So? What're you gonna do?" Sazh continued.

"Destroy it" she answered plainly.

"And then what? Cocoon's obliterated. You're going to disobey the fal'cie that enslaved you by doing exactly what it would want!? Are you out of your mind!?" I bellowed.

"I don't give a damn what the fal'cie want!" Lightning shouted.

"Then why are you doing this!?" Sazh yelled.

"Because of the Sanctum! I'm not going to sit here and let them kill me after everything they've done!" she bellowed.

"What about Serah? She said to-" Vanille began.

"Irrelevant!" I interrupted.

Lightning turned to me with a deadly look on her face.

"What did you just say?" she asked menacingly.

"Look, Lightning, I know you don't like anyone speaking ill of your sister, but the fact is that she doesn't matter right now. Survival is the goal, so why worry about something you have no control over?" I put to her.

"She's my sister! Of course I'm worried about her!" Lightning barked.

"And I would be too if I was in your position. But she can't be helped right now. So it's better if we just pick a path and keep moving" I offered.

Lightning stared at the floor. She tried to keep a neutral face, but she was hurting. I could tell.

_Oh yeah. Been there._

I moved towards her slowly and outstretched my arm.

"Look, I know it's not easy when you can't protect the people you love. But there are just some situations beyond your control, no matter how much you may wish otherwise. So instead of standing around moping, we should just push forward, 'kay?" I said in a softer tone of voice.

She just brushed past Hope and Vanille to move forward.  
I sighed and kept pace behind her. I knew Hope would follow suit soon enough, so I didn't dwell on him too much.

_Family always make things complicated. _

I stood still for a minute as my mind drifted back to my own family back home, their faces cycling through my memory. I wondered if any of them had noticed that I'd gone missing since my arrival in this world. If any of them were worried. If they were looki-

_Stop it! You're not helping yourself right now so just keep moving!_

I lowered my head and pinched my brow. These thoughts weren't going to do me any good, but that didn't stop them from pervading. If they had their way, I'd probably stand in that one spot for days on end just wondering about the 'what ifs' and thinking about the implications of what had transpired thus far.  
I always had a problem like that. Getting lost in thought. Letting my mind take over when I should have been more pro-active. I wasn't sure if it was my nature of it was a trait I'd picked up from somewhere in years gone by, but it had plagued me all my life. Now more than ever, I had to push it to one side and stick to the task.  
Reaching Carbuncle.  
If I could get to that fal'cie, then it could get me home. Plain and simple.  
I looked ahead at Lightning's moving form and thought about what she said to Sazh earlier.

_Maybe I am more like her than I care to admit. _

Then I heard the sound of running. It was Hope running up towards us. He stopped a few feet shy and rested is hands on his knees, short of breath again.

"I'm going with you" he said defiantly.

"I can't babysit you anymore" Lightning admonished.

"What about him?" Hope asked, looking at me.

"He can look out for himself" she answered.

"I can fight too. I'm not afraid" he tried to persuade.

Before he could finish making his case, the sound of multiple footsteps approaching could be heard. Lightning checked to see where they were coming from and saw the approaching soldiers.

"Great, a PSICOM hit squad" she lamented.

The lead soldier detonated a device in his hand, setting off an explosive behind us, effectively cutting off retreat and preventing Sazh and Vanille from reaching us.

_Good. No interference. _

I needed something to keep my mind occupied, and these patsies would do just fine.  
I raised my rifle and fired in a wide arc, trying to catch as many of them as possible in my field of fire. Lightning had drawn her gunblade and was swiftly attacking the soldiers with deft blows. Hope was casting spells in quick succession by way of support.  
One soldier had other ideas about that support, though, and levelled his weapon at Hope.

_No!_

I fired at him as quickly as I could, trying to stop him from getting any shots off.  
Fortunately, my aim was good and he collapsed in a pile. As soon as he went down though, he tried to reach for his gun again. I shot at it, and it spun away, out of his reach. He turned his head towards me.

"Fuck you l'cie!" he screamed.

I heard his words. And then I lost it.  
I threw my rifle to the side and stormed at him as fast as my legs would move. I reached down and grabbed the lapels of his uniform with one hand, and pulled his helmet off with the other. Then I hit him.

"Fuck you!" I screamed back.

But I didn't stop. I hit him again.  
It felt good. Really good.  
I hit him again. And again. And again. I switched fists and kept pounding away. There was blood before long, and it was everywhere.  
I still didn't relent. I kept pounding away. Blow after blow after blow. Every single noise of anguish filled me with satisfaction.  
Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. Looking up and to the side, I saw Lightning staring at me. Then I looked back to the soldier.  
He was a mess.  
But I still felt good.  
I stepped off of him and picked up my rifle.

"Why did you do that?" Hope asked.

"Because it felt good" I told him.

"Show a little more restraint next time" Lightning cautioned.

Then she leant in closer to me.

"He doesn't need to see that" she whispered.

_He'll see worse before this is over. _

Then Lightning turned to Hope.

"Not bad" she complimented.

"Really? Thanks" he replied.

_You'd think he'd never taken a compliment before. _

Hope strode a few paces forward, keeping his eyes ahead.

"There'll be more soldiers. We should keep moving."

_Smartest thing I've heard for a while. _

"Lightning? Are you worried about the others? I'm sure they got away okay" Hope tried to reassure.

"So can you, if you leave now" she said in a firm tone of voice.

"With me, it'll be fight after fight. I don't know how it'll end. It's anybody's guess."

"Probably some climactic showdown with a big enemy" I interrupted.

"I know that. But I need to be stronger. Lightning?" he pried.

"Call me Light" she said casually.

"So what's the plan from here?"

"Through the Gapra Whitewood to Palumpolum. We'll find transport to Eden."

"I live in Palumpolum. I can show you all the shortcuts" Hope supported.

"No side trips" Lightning warned.

"No need. I don't think l'cie are welcome home" he commented.

"Or anywhere else for that matter" I added.

And so we set off again. In my mind, it would've been easier if we didn't keep stopping and starting, but I suppose it wouldn't have helped my chances for survival if I kept burning myself out.  
Then Hope turned his head to look at me.

"Need to get something off your chest?" he enquired.

"Not thinking about it" I answered abruptly.

_If I don't think about it, I won't keep getting distracted. _

With that, I moved ahead of Hope and fell in with Lightning. It was weird how much I preferred her company over the others considering that she was quite possibly the most one-dimensional character. Maybe there was something about her that I was drawn to. Or maybe it just said something about the company I kept. Either way, I stayed close and kept my eyes peeled.  
We proceeded through some areas with electrical components and large obstacles that obscured the way ahead. Not too great for visibility, but a tactical advantage against any oncoming ground-based soldiers.

_Bottlenecks. Makes them easier to pick off. _

The aerial troopers were a different kettle of fish, however. Since they were able to move freely through the sky, it made them more difficult to target. Trying to aim ahead of their flight path was proving to be an exercise in intuition. Unpredictability was the enemy, but I had to adjust as best I could. Lightning and Hope were doing a good job of eliminating a significant number of hostiles, so that left less for more to deal with. Less ammunition to burn through and less chances to get my head blown off. Win-win.  
Then I saw Lightning raise her hand and clench her fist. I stopped dead in my tracks and went to ground. She was edging around a rock face with Hope in tow. I could hear voices nearby.

"Any trace of the l'cie?"

"Nothing. No sign it's been activated."

_Great. More soldiers. _

"Who's there?"

_Dammit, they must have seen us!_

Not getting up, I aimed my rifle at the tracker's head and pulled the trigger. He went down. A few gunblade slashes later and his partner followed suit. Quick and clean, just the way I liked it.

"What was PSICOM doing here?" Hope asked.

"Looking for us, of course" I answered as I climbed to my feet.

"Probably thought we'd try and use a Pulse machine to escape" Lightning theorised.

"Maybe we should try it. What does this do?" he mused, moving towards a downed Dreadnought.

"Hey, you're gonna hurt yourself! Don't touch that!" she warned.

"Wait. What if it works?" Hope called back.

"Leave it!" Lightning commanded.

However, her words fell on deaf ears as the machine reared with Hope atop it. He cried in surprise.

"I told you to leave it" she chided.

"Stop! Stop already!" came the shouts.

I knew it wasn't going to, so I moved behind the automaton and followed suit. Considering the damage it was capable of wreaking, and having experienced its firepower first-hand, I knew it was best to give it a healthy distance. Still, PSICOM didn't have anything that was capable of repelling it at this juncture, so as far as I was concerned, it was basically a giant shield.

"I think I got it. Light! I think I can work this!" Hope called out.

The herculean beast moved forward and smashed into the bridge, moving it into a walkable position. As soon as the Dreadnought began to cross, I double-timed it in pursuit.

_Damn thing's fast. _

Though it was a little difficult to see ahead, the mechanical monster was making short work of both the soldiers and the barricades they'd erected. It was almost like following behind a wrecking ball.

_This is actually kind of fun to watch. _

Entire squads were being brushed aside as easily as a common housefly. I couldn't help but chuckle at the yells of surprise. That, and their being flung towards the horizon by the dozen.  
Proceeding over multiple bridges and through multiple blockades, Hope and his steed eventually came to a few narrow ledges below them. Right on cue, they fell down unceremoniously into a pile at the bottom. I know I shouldn't have, but I did take a great deal of satisfaction from hearing his pained screams as he tumbled.

"Nice landing" Lightning commented sarcastically.

She leapt down in front of Hope. I was right behind her.

"Let's get moving" she said.

"Just need a minute. Still a bit winded" he complained.

"Serve you right for riding a giant Pulse armament" I said.

"You're too soft" Lightning said matter-of-factly.

_Coming from the Sergeant who was upset at my cold-blooded killing? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. _

"Wait up!" Hope called.

Neither Lightning nor I slowed our pace. He decided to tag along, so he was going to have the face the consequences.

We kept moving ahead, but there was significantly less enemy activity ahead. The fact that we were basically walking down a very long corridor surrounded by mountains might have had something to do with it.

"Hope we find another one of those thing" Hope pondered.

"Yeah, I could watch you fell on your ass all day" I mocked.

Moving forward, we dealt with threat as and when they revealed themselves. Some were easier to spot than others, and it didn't help that they had the cover of night on their side. I was grateful for all the pockets of illumination we came across, and tried to use them wherever I could. The flipside was that it made me a brighter target for passing patrols, but with the other two in fairly close proximity, I wasn't as tightly strung as I had been in the past.  
Some twist, turns and another very long corridor later, I heard another sound. This wasn't the sound of hostile activity though. It was the sound of running water. There was a small waterfall nearby. Which meant that we were close.  
I slowed my speed until I was at the rear of the group. Trying to remain inconspicuous, I sleuthed as much as I could to get some distance between myself and the others without drawing their attention. If one of them saw me falling behind, then it'd detract from progression and I'd never be able to break away in time.  
As I gradually slowed to a halt, I saw Lightning and Hope approach yet another bridge.  
And then I holstered my gun and fell to one knee in the prime position. When the time came, I didn't want to be anywhere within shouting distance of those two.  
Right on schedule, Hope tripped and Lightning looked back in disgust.

"This isn't working. I mean, you're a liability. You'll just slow me down."

"What?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't protect you when-"

She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence before she convulsed. There was a glow emanating from her chest. It was coming.

"You can't leave me here! You've got to take me with you!" Hope pleaded.

"Enough! The whole world is against us! I can barely keep myself alive, let alone some helpless kid!"

Then she collapsed to her knee.

"I don't have time to baby you. You want to get tough? Do it own your own!"

No sooner had the words left her mouth than a large circle of light had appeared at her feet. It was rose-coloured with distinctive points, almost like some kind of aura or insignia.  
The wind had picked up, gusts blowing in all directions seemingly without origin or purpose.  
The glow radiated outwards and the light became brighter and brighter. Seconds later, a giant pillar emerged from the ground and there was an explosion of crystal. I had to shield my eyes from the spectacle, but no sooner had I removed my hands than I saw it standing in all of its mighty glory.

_Odin. _

"This cannot be happening" Lightning said in disbelief.

Then it started towards Hope. As soon as I saw it move, I turned tail and ran as fast as I could. I clenched my fists, took a deep breath and bolted as fast as my legs would carry me. I was absolutely no match for that thing whatsoever, and my rifle was completely incapable of causing any damage. I had no intention of sticking around.  
Scenery passed me by and I backtracked the way we came until the only noise I could hear was the sound of my shoes hitting the rocks. My lungs started to burn for air and my legs were aching in protest but I didn't stop. I kept running with every ounce of will that I had. My entire survival instinct focused on only one goal.  
Get away from that thing.  
Minutes passed, and before long, my speed slowed. I started to gasp and I soon collapsed to the ground panting and heaving.  
I could only hope that I was far away enough that I wouldn't be injured in the crossfire between Odin and the others. I wasn't sure how long the battle would take, so I decided to bide my time, catch my breath and wait it out. I crawled to a wall and leaned back against it, still wheezing.  
I thought about what must have been happening back there.

_Come to think of it, what is an eidolon anyway? A mercy killing for a broken l'cie? A trial of endurance to build strength? Some kind of gift from Etro? Fucking scriptwriters. _

After more time passed, I finally got my second wind. Rising to my feet, my legs didn't miss a beat before telling me that might not be such a good idea. Taking a moment to adjust, I made back for the waterfall. My muscles weren't in much condition for jogging, so I had to settle for a brisk walk until I could fully regain my composure.  
After a while, I made it back to the battlefield, and Odin was nowhere to be seen.

_Thank fuck for that. _

"We'll toughen you up" I heard Lightning call out.

Then she turned as she undoubtedly heard me approaching.

"Where did you disappear to?" she asked in a disapproving tone.

"Away" I said simply.

"And you think you can just waltz back in whenever you please?" she asked, arms folded.

"Look, I know what Sazh said about strength in numbers and working together. But the fact of the matter is that I would have only served as a distraction and a hindrance. Bullets sure as hell can't stop an eidolon, so what was I going to do? Kick and scream at it?"

"Maybe. But I don't work with cowards. You do an end-run around me again, I'll snap you back so hard you'll think you're a first year cadet. You got that!?" Lightning threatened.

I looked her square in the eye, and moved my hand to the safety of my weapon.

"Try it. I dare you" I warned.

Lightning's hand moved to the hilt of her gunblade. This was going to get ugly.

Hope moved between us, his arms outstretched, trying to separate us.

"This isn't helping right now. We need to keep moving or we're all dead" he cautioned.

I hated to admit it, but he was right. But I still kept eye contact with Lightning.

"The only reason I'm not shooting at you right now is because I need your help. But if you call me a coward one more time, then I'm coming after you" I warned.

"Good luck with that" she mocked.

_This bitch needs taking down a peg or two. _

I marched forward, making a point of bumping Lightning in the shoulder as I went past. I had to get out of there before I did something I regretted. If she kept pushing my buttons like that, then pretty soon I wouldn't give a damn about anything else except seeing that pretty little face writhing in agony.

_That'd be satisfying on so many levels._

Trying to keep my anger in check, I pushed ahead. But it was so damn hard not to keep thinking about what she said. Her facial expressions, her tone of voice, her phraseology, all of it.

_Damn it, it's happening again!_

I was starting to get lost in thought. Some days it felt like there was nothing I could no to stop myself from fixating on a single event.  
In my absent-mindedness, I didn't even notice when Hope and Lightning started bringing up the rear.  
I had to snap out of it. I closed my eyes and started to breathe through my nose. In and out. In and out. I mustered all of my willpower to focus on the task at hand.

_Do you control your thoughts? Or do your thoughts control you? _

With that, my eyes snapped open. Self-control was the one thing I'd been forced to develop as I matured, and I sure as hell wasn't about to throw it out of the window now. Not in this place, not with these excuses for people.

_If you wish to master the world, around you, first you must master yourself. _

I jogged forward, keeping my eyes front. There was one more battle to come before respite, so I had to stay sharp.  
Taking a few more steps ahead, a PSICOM soldier appeared with the utterance of l'cie.  
Lightning and Hope were back-to-back, taking on the enemies with greater degrees of co-operation than before. I, however, settled for my usual tactic of providing covering fire from an elevated position.  
Before long, the soldiers collapsed to the ground as their mechs were destroyed. The battle, however, seemed to take a toll on Hope, as he once again started gasping for air with his hands resting on his knees.  
For someone his age, he really didn't have a whole lot of stamina.

"We'll stop here" Lightning said.

"Sorry" Hope breathed.

"Don't sweat it. I'll look around. You rest up."

This time, I decided not to follow. A little distance would probably be a good idea right now anyway.

As Hope sat with his back to the rocks, I took up position on the opposite site, placing my rifle at my feet. We weren't going to have any more encounters until reaching the Gapra Whitewood, so I could afford to relax. Folding my arms, I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate my thoughts.

"Why do you fight with Light so much?" I heard.

I slowly opened my eyes to address Hope's question, unsettling as it was.  
I knew exactly why.

"I don't know" I answered.

"Do you hate her?" he asked.

I chortled before replying.

"She frustrates me more than anyone I've ever known. But hate? Outright detest? I think that's a little strong."

"But I don't get it. If you don't hate her, then why do keep arguing so much?" he persisted.

"That's a complicated question. Right now, you should get some rest. You're gonna need it" I consoled.

Hope shifted position and started to doze off. I resumed my previous pose.  
Lightning was one of the most paradoxical characters I'd ever had the misfortune of encountering. I wanted to tell her exactly how I felt, but I couldn't risk it for any chance of interrupting the continuity of the game's space-time continuum.  
But maybe she deserved to know the truth.  
And maybe she deserved a fist across the jaw.  
I shook my head and decided to resolve it later.  
With any luck, I'd be able to work something out.


End file.
